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Ford Commercial

Former Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe has one less job as of today - the pitchman is no longer a pitchman for Ford, with yesterday's announcement from Rowe ending a seven-year partnership between the TV host and the Blue Oval.

Ford has released a new advertisement for the 2012 F-150 SVT Raptor, and while it's entertaining, the clip is a good bit more demure than the footage we've seen from the company in the past. Gone are the shots of the off-road bruiser sailing through the desert air. Instead, the truck has turned its attention to muddy, wooded trails to show off its new 4.10 Torsen limited-slip front end, hill-descent control and front camera with integrated washer.

Ford has pulled its controversial "Drive One: Press Conference" ad starring owner Chris*, who offered negative commentary of the government-sponsored bankruptcies of crosstown rivals Chrysler and General Motors when asked why he chose to buy a Ford. You'll recall that Ford and its CEO, Alan Mulally, was – and continues to be – publicly supportive of the auto bailouts.

We only know him as Chris, but his words are reverberating around the automotive and business sectors at the moment. He's the star of an unscripted Ford ad that puts real customers in front of not-so-real reporters. Chris was asked why buying American was important to him, and his response centers on the fact that Ford did not take bailout money unlike General Motors and Chrysler.

Back in 2009, at the absolute lowest point in the history of the American automobile industry, Chrysler and General Motors declared bankruptcy. The United States government set up a cabinet-level group called The Presidential Task Force On The Auto Industry was formed to allow the government to handle the courtroom proceedings that would end up allowing the two automotive giants the opportunity to get back on their feet.